Thread-tension device



Au i1, 192am zg zm T. M. ALLEN ET AL.

THREAD TENSION DEVIC'E Filed June 12, 1923 Patented Aug. M, 1925.

TI-IQMAS M. ALLEN, OF LD FFELL, MASSACI-IUSE'J."

NF'W I-l'. SHIET ASSIGNS OF IEASSACHUSETTS'.

vrcron s. rite-incur, or nAsHtIA,

annaoenn'r n, nauranone, or wrncrrnsrnn, MASSACHUSETTS, concave-LI. errors, or Bos'ron, teas ACHUSEITS, A coarona'r'rolv THREAD-TENSION DEVICE.

Application filed June 12, 1923. Serial No. 644,961.

To (ZZZ whom it may Concern.

Be it known that we, Trroams M. ALLEN, Vroron S. PHANEUF, and Bonner E. NAUM- nuns, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Lowell, Middlesex County, State of Massachusetts; Nashua, Hillsboro County, State of New Hampshire; and 'Vinchester, Middlesex County, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ThreadTension Devices, of which the following is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to mechanisms for use in spooling and other textile machines for exerting a tension on the thread or yarn handled by the machine and removing slobs, lint, and the like carried by the thread.

The invention has for its general object to improve mechanisms of this character with a view to providing a construction which will be very sensitive, will exert a substantially uniform tension on the thread under the varying conditions which are met in practice, which *ill be self-cleaning and therefore avoid the tendency of lint to accumulate and form slubs on the thread, and which will be self-threading under practically any conditions.

One of the objections to prior devices of this character has been the fact that even those commonly known as self threading have required the leading of thread to the tension device in a very definite manner, usuall on one side only of the device, with the result that a careless operator is liable to misthread the device. it is one of the objects of this invention, therefore, to devise a construction which will be tool-proof in this respect to an unusual degree and which can be threaded on either side.

The invention also involves a novel relationship of a slab catcher to a thread tension device which results in exerting a more uni form tension on the thread than otherwise would be the case, and it provides a construction of slub catcher which is very cilicient, economical to manufacture, and con venient to adjust.

The nature of the invention will be read ily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel fea tures will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in cross section, showing a mechanism embodying this invention and the general manner in which this mechanism is used in a spoolin'g machine;

F 2 is a plan view of the tension mechanism shown in Fig. 1; c

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the mecha nism shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

F 4 is a cross sectional view substantially on the line 4- Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4:;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a wire thread tension device located below the slub catcher; and

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view on the line In the arrangement shown in the drawings the thread or yarn is drawn from a cop or bobbin B which is supported on a sub stantially vertical spindle, and the thread nextpasses through the mechanism provided by this invention and is wound on a spool This is an arrangement common in spooling machines.

The illustrated mechanism embodying this invention comprises a bracket 2 having uper and lower horizontal steps 3 and 4 which are connected by an intermediate vertical portion. Projecting from the upper step 3 is an upright pin or post 5 on which are loosely supported upper and lower cupshaped members 6 and 7, respectively, the upper member being mounted in an inverted vosition so that the marignal portions of the two members are in contact with each other. A spring 8 bears on the margin of the upper cup 6 and supports a weight consisting of a series of washers 9 which are guided on the pin 5, so that this weight acts through the spring to press the upper cup 6 yieldingly against the lower cup 7. The spring and washers are inclosed in a cap 10 having a threaded stud 12 projecting centrally therefrom and threaded into a hole formed in the upper part of the pin or post 5. The parts are so proportioned that the lower edge of the cap 10 preferably lies in the horizontal plane of the line of contact of the members 6 and 7.

The thread is led between the members 6 and 7 and it is lightly and yieldingly pinched by the marginal portions of these members. In order to enable these members to rock freely relatively to each other, the holes formed in them to receive the pin 5 are made somewhat larger in diameter than the pin, and the lower cup 7 bears on a collar or shoulder 1d, Fig. i, which is of only slightly larger diameter than'the hole in the cup, This enables the lower member to rock Very freely with reference to the pin 5 and upper member 6. Consequently, the cups 6 and 7 will yield with remarkable ease to accommodate themselves to the thread. The device thus compensates readily for varying conditions, and it resembles in an unusual degree in its action on the thread the tension which can be placed on a running thread by the human fingers.

As the thread :rnns between the cups 6 and 7 there is a tendency for it to shed fly or lint, and such lint is discharged through ports or apertures 15 which are formed in the lower cup 7. The upper cup 6 preferably is solid, so that it prevents lint from rising in the cap and clogging this space.

The thread is guided to the tension cups by an eye 16 formed centrally in a plate 17 which is secured'to the vertical part of the bracket 2. Itwill be seen that this eye is located closely adjacent to the bite of the cups 6 and 7 and in the horizontal plane of contact of said cups. This eye is almost in contact with the lower edge of the cap 10, as clearly shown in the drawings, and it is so close to the peripheral edges of the cups 6 and 7 that it guides the thread between these cups as effectually when a spool is nearly full as it does when the spool is almost empty. It will be understood that when the spool is empty the thread crosses the space between the cups 6 and 7 closely adjacent to the pin 5, but that when the spool is nearly filled the thread crosses at a point much farther from the pin. This variation in the angle at which the thread crosses the tension device has been a source of trouble heretofore due to the tendency of the thread to dodge the tension members, or else to cross them at certain times almost on a tangent with their line of contact with each other so that the thread, at such a time, is subjected to less tension than at other times. By locating the eye 16 close to the bite of the cups, this ditliculty is avoided and the thread is subjected at all times to the pressure of the plates applied at two points which are spaced along the thread.

The slub catcher provided by this invention comprises two plates or blades 21 and 22 which are secured to the lower face of the lower step 4: of the bracket 2 in substantially the relationship shown in Fig. These plates lie in a horizontal plane and their adjacent edges are parallel to each other and spaced apart by a distance equal to the gage of the thread,.plus the desired clearance, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so that as the thread passes between them, any slubs or lint carried by the thread will be caught by the plates and stripped from the thread. The two blades 21 and 22 are exact duplicates of each other so that they may be used interchangeably and each blade is reversible so that when one edge has become dull it may be reversed and the opposite edge used. Each blade has two holes 23-23 punched therethrough, these holes in the blade 21 receiving guiding studs that project clownwardly from thestep 4-. The holes23-23 in the opposite blade 22 receive screws 2%.2l by means of which the wire tension device 25 is secured in place. This blade thus is clamped in a fixed position. The blade 21, however, is adjustable to vary the width of the space through which the thread passes.

For this purpose the blade 21 has a slot therethrough like the slot 26 in the blade 22, Fig 5. A knurled knob 27 is rotatably mounted in the step 4 of the bracket 2 and is provided with an eccentric 28 which enters the slot 26 in the blade 21. Consequently, when this knob is turned, the eccentric acts on the walls of the slot to move the blade 21 on the pins that project through the holes 23-23 and thus to vary the width of the space between the edges of the blades 21 and 22. The knob 27 is held in its adjusted position by means of a bolt which is threaded into the knob and has a head 29 provided with two holes 3030, as clearly 'shown in Fig. 5, to receive a special tool having pins to fit said holes. Consequently, in order to adjust the blade 21 it is first necessary to loosen the bolt 29, then turn the knob 27 until the desired adjustment is effected and then tighten the bolt 29 again. This provides a convenient adjustment which cannot be tampered with by an operative and which is not liable to work loose.

The horizontal step l of the bracket 2 has a central slot 32 formed therethrough, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and l, for the passage of the thread through the slub catcher directly to the eye 16. For the purpose of facilitating the threading of the device, the end of the step 4r has a V-shaped notch cut therein, as clearly shown in the drawings, so that as the thread is drawn over the device the walls of this notch will guide the thread into the slot 32 and, consequently, into operative relationshipto the slub catcher.

It. will be observed that the upper edge of the plate 17 is V-shaped; that is, it has upwardly inclined surfaces diverging from the eye 16. Consequently, if a length of thread drawn from the bobbin B and wound loosely around the spool S is simply laid across the upper edge of the plate 17 and between the corners of the plate 4, the tension exerted on the thread by the spool, as soon as it begins to rotate, assisted by the tension provided by the wire 25, will draw the thread into the slub catcher and into the eye 16 and between the plates 6 and 7. In other words, the device will thread up properly even if the thread is simply laid across it,- as above described; This is a very important practical advantage for the rea son that the machine attendants are often careless and cannot be relied upon to thread the device up properly.

The wire tension device 25, which is secured to the bottom of the horizontal part 4 of the bracket, applies only a very light tension to the thread, but is preferably used in the relationship shown for the reason that it facilitates the threading of the mechanism and the proper travel of the yarn through the slub catcher.

The mechanism above described is secured to the traverse rail 33,Fig. 1, of the spooling machine by means of a clamp comprising a U-shaped part 34 having a lip 35, Fig. 4, which extends from one edge of the clamp and is located in a slot formed in the vertical portion of the bracket 2. Two screws 36'36, Fig.- 2, project through the step 3" of the bracket and are threaded into lugs proj ecting from the rearward edge of the clamp 34, where they draw the clamp toward the part 3 and grip the rail 33 securely between the parts 3 and 34:.

The traverse rail 33 moves up and down during the operation of the spooling machine and thus carries the entire tension mechanism up and down past the spool 3. As the mechanism moves upwardly, the thread is guided over the upper edge of a rail 38 which is formed at the back of the part 3 by bending up this portion of the bracket, the upper edge of this rail being substantially in the plane of contact of the cup-shaped members 6 and 7 with each other. As the tension mechanism moves down, the thread is guided on the lower edge of the cap 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1

The mechanism provided by this invention has proved to be very sensitive, it compensates readily for changing conditions, is easilyadjusted, is self-cleaning, and is selfthreading to a remarkable degree. The fact that the thread passes through the slub catcher before it comes in contact with the cups 6 and 7 which apply tension thereto, is of substantial practical advantage in that the lint and slubs are stripped from the thread before it reaches the members that exert tension on it. The cups of the tension mechanism thus do not have to compensate for the presence of slubs carried by the thread, as otherwise would be the case. A further advantage of this mechanism is that it can be manufactured economically since all the parts, except the cap 10 and wire parts, may be made by the punch and die process.

lVhile we have herein shown and described the best embodiment of our invention which we have so far devised, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

1. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their concave faces adjacent to each other and their marginal portions in contact with each other, the lower of said members having lint discharging apertures therethrough, and means for holding said members in cooperative relationship to each other.

2. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members and means for supporting said members with their concave faces adjacent to each other and their marginal portions in contact but permitting them to rock freely relatively to each other, and means for pressing one of said members yieldingly against the other.

3. A. tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their concave faces adjacent to each other and their marginal portions in contact with each other, the lower of said members having lint discharging apertures therethrough and the upper member being solid, and means for holding said members in cooperative relationship to each other.

4. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members, a pin projecting axially through said members and supporting them with their concave faces adjacent to each other and their marginal portions in contact with each other, means for acting on one of said members to press it yieldingly against the other, and a support engaging the latter member near its axis only and enabling it to rock freely relatively to the other member.

5. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other, the lower of said members having lint discharging apertures therethrough, a pin projecting axially through said members, a weight guided'on said pin, a spring interposed between said weight and the upper member whereby said weight acts through the spring to press the upper member yieldingly against the lower member, and a shoulder on which the lower member rests, said shoulder being slightly larger in diameter than said pin and enabling said lower member 'to rock freely relatively to said pin.

6. A tension mechanism of the character described comprisingtwo cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other, the lower of said members having lint discharging apertures theret'hrough, a pin projecting axially through said membore, a weight guided on said pin, a spring interposed between said weight and the upper member whereby said weight acts through the spring to press the upper member yieldingly against the lower member,

a shoulder on which the lower member rests, 7

said shoulder being slightly larger in diameter than said pin and enabling said lower member to rock freely relatively to said pin, and a cap threaded on the upper end oi said pin and having its lower edge positioned substantially in the plane of contact of said members with each other.

7. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other, means for holding said members in cooperative relationship to each other, and thread guiding means including an eye located closely adjacent 'to the peripheral edges of said members and in the plane of contact of said members with each other.

8. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other, a pin projecting axially through said members, means for pressing said members yieldingly together, a cap supported on the upper end of said pin and having its lower edge positioned substantially in the plane of contact of said members with each other, a thread guiding eye positioned substantially in said plane at one side of said cap and located closely adjacent to said cap, and a rail having a thread guiding edge located substantially in said plane at the opposite side of said cap. 7

9. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portion in contact with each other, the lower of said members having lint discharging apertures therethrough, a pin projecting axially through said members, a weight guided on said pin, a spring interposed between said weight and the upper member whereby said weight acts through the spring to press the upper member yieldingly against the lower member, a support for said pin, and a cap enclosing said spring and weight and having a stud projecting downwardly therefrom and threaded into the upper end of said pin.

10. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other, a pin projecting axially through said members, a bracket in which said pin is mounted, said bracket having a depending extension at one edge thereof and said er:- tension being slotted, a U-shaped clamp located below said bracket and having a lip projecting from one edge thereof into said slot, and screws projecting through said bracket for securing said clamp and bracket together.

11. A tension mechanism of the character described comprising two cup-shaped members mounted one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other, means for holding said members in cooperative relationship to each other, and thread guiding means including an eye positioned closely. adjacent to the bite of said members, said thread guiding means having outwardly and upwardly directed guiding surfaces diverging from said eye, whereby a thread dropped on said surfaces at either side of said eye will be guided into said eye when tension is exerted on said thread.

12. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a thread tension device, means for guiding a thread to said device, a slub catcher arranged to act on the thread before it reaches said tension device, and an additional device for exerting a tension on the thread just before it reaches said slub catcher.

13. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a tension device comprising two cup-shaped members arranged one above the other with their marginal portions in contact with each other and means for pressing said members yieldingly together, of a slub catcher located horizontally in front of said tension device and thread guiding means located between said slub catcher and said tension device, said means comprising a guiding eye located closely adjacent to the bite of said members, and upwardly inclined surfaces diverging from said eye and serving to guide a thread toward said eye when the thread is drawn over said surfaces.

14. In a mechanism of the character de scribed, the combination of a thread tension device, a slub catcher arranged to act on a thread before it reaches said device, and

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two V-shaped guides positioned, respectively, adjacent to said device and slub catcher and serving to direct a thread into operative relationship to said slub catcher and device.

15. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination of a bracket having upper and lower horizontal steps and an intermediate vertical portion connecting said steps, a thread tension device mounted on the upper step and comprising two cupshaped thread gripping members supported one above the other, a thread guiding member secured to said vertical portion of the bracket and having a central eye and upwardly inclined surfaces diverging from said eye, and a slub catcher supported by said lower step, said lower step being slotted to form a passage for the thread therethrough and the end portion of said lower step forming V-shaped guiding surfaces which direct the thread into said slub catcher.

16. In a mechanism of the character described, two interchangeable blades having edges extending substantially parallel to each other and spaced slightly apart, means for supporting said blades in their cooperative relationship to each other, and means whereby one of said blades may be adjusted to vary the width of the space bet-ween said edges.

17.. In a mechanism of the character described, two interchangeable blades having edges extending substantially parallel to each other and spaced slightly apart, means for supporting said blades in their cooperative relationship to each other, each of said blades being reversible.

18. In a mechanism of the character described, two interchangeable blades having edges extending substantially parallel to each other and spaced slightly apart, means for supporting said blades in their cooperative relationship to each other, each of said blades being reversible, and eccentric means for adjusting one of said blades to vary the width of the space between said edges.

19. In a mechanism of the character described, two blades located in substantially the same plane and having edges extending parallel to each other and spaced slightly apart, a bracket in which said blades are supported, means for securing said blades to the lower side of said bracket, a stud projecting through said bracket and-having a knob on its upper side and an eccentric on the lower side of said bracket, said eccentric being positioned in a slot formed in one of said blades, whereby a turning movement of said knob will adjust the latter blade toward or from its cooperating blade, and means for holding said eccentric in its adjusted position.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed this specification.

THOMAS M. ALLEN. VICTOR S. PHANEUF. ROBERT E. NAUMBURG. 

